Statement of the Middle East committee
decided in Berlin may 7th and amended by the WILPF sections in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon – issued through  ME coordinator Heidi Meinzolt, WILPF Germany

We members of the Middle East committee met in Berlin on May 7, considering that this is the historical place of the breakdown of the wall. We show our solidarity with the Palestinian women in the occupied territories, who are struggling for peace and Justice.

We reaffirm all the middle east committee resolution in particular the Cyprus document, Geneva 2000, Sweden 2007.
we condemn :
- the continuous building of the separation wall on the Palestinian territories which serves as a tool of annexation of Palestinian land and water and separation of Palestinian community, and we call for the removal of the wall in accordance with advisory opinion of the court of Justice in 9 July 2004 . The construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated regime, are contrary to international law. Israel is under an obligation to terminate its breaches of international law; it is under an obligation to cease forthwith the works of construction of the wall being built in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, to dismantle forthwith the structure therein situated, and to repeal or render ineffective forthwith all legislative and regulatory acts relating thereto, in accordance with paragraph 151 of this Opinion.  Israel is under an obligation to make reparation for all damage caused by the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem:

- the continuous expansion of the Israeli settlements located on the Palestinian land and the creation of new by pass  roads ,that confiscates thousands of acres of the Palestinian land  and we call for the dismantling of  the settlements

- the continuous closure of the Palestinian territories and the “security measures”
On the checkpoints and passage gates, which are in violation of human and humanitarian rights . These measures include body scans ,damaging the health of the people, extremely dangerous for pregnant women – dogs at the checkpoints ,using young men by the military as human shields.

- The continuous erection of the wall and the continuous closure of the Palestinian territories and the long searching process taking place on the Israeli checkpoints , give no access for the Palestinian people for medical, educational and social services and threatens the lives of patients.

- the bombardment of civilian areas , that causes the death of hundreds of innocent people in particular women and children.

-extra judicial assassinations of Palestinian activists.

- the new Israeli law prohibits a Palestinian married to an Israeli citizen to live or receive citizenship in Israel and consider this as an apartheid law

Emanating from the conviction that a military solution to the conflict will not achieve peace or provide security for the parties, we adopt and support the Arab peace Initiative adopted by the Arab summit in Beirut ,2002  and reaffirmed in Riyadh in 2007. And we call upon the International Community,particularly the EU to adopt this Initiative as basis for peace in the region.

The Initiative calls for full Israeli withdrawal  from all Arab territories occupied since June 4 , 1967,in implementation of security Counsel Resolution 242 and 338, reaffirmed by the Madrid conference of 1991 and the land for peace principle ,and an Israeli acceptance of an Independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. It further calls upon Israel to affirm full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied in 1967 , including the Golan Heights and the  Lebanese territories in the south of Lebanon, and achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with U.N. general assembly resolution 194. Consequently the Arab countries Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of comprehensive peace.

- We call for:
-  the recognition of the democratically elected representatives and the unity government formed in the vision of Mecca agreement .
- for an immediate lifting of the economic and political siege imposed on the Palestinian people and government:
a) the funds promised by the EU for Palestinian development must be transferred b)money owned to Palestinian People taken as taxes by the Israeli government which estimated 850 million dollars should be transferred immediately to the Palestinian national authority
c) The international community should not block the Palestinian bank accounts any more
d) stop the political boycott of Hamas ministers and parliamentarians .

An immediate lifting of the siege will help Palestinian leadership to secure internal peace within Palestine.
- for an immediate release of more than 10,000 political prisoners held inside Israeli prisons and detention camps ,particularly all women and children prisoners. This can lead to the release of the three Israeli hostages and improve the relations in order to resume peace negotiation
- for freedom of movement for the Palestinian people.
- the protection of the Palestinian people in particular women and children.

-We urge the Israeli government to remove all the checkpoints and closures within Palestine and the respect of the geographical and political integrity of Palestine.

 In the light of the difficult situation in  the occupied Palestine territories and the continuous  Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories we call for the implementation of UNSC resolution 1325 which call for the protection and participation of women in conflict resolution  and negotiation and democracy building and the prevention of the conflicts and taking a gender perspective in repatriation.

Lebanon is in the peculiar position of having to rebuild after the 34-day devastating war waged by Israel last summer(July/August,2006), keeping in mind that it is still trying to rebuild after the 15-year long civil war(1975-1990). We shall address in the following paragraphs some of the major obstacles that affect this process.

1.The Problem of Landmines and Cluster Bombs in Lebanon
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 Evidence shows that the problem of unexploded ordnance, cluster munitions, cluster bombs, landmines and all explosive remnants of war resulting from the July 2006 war on Lebanon is huge. It added to the complexity of the problem resulting from the different wars Lebanon has been through since 1948.  Since the ceasefire day (August 14, 2006) until January 4, 2007, more than 200 people were injured including 45 aged less than 18 years, and 26 were killed. Everyday our media reports incidents , because everyday some of the million & a half bumbles fired by the Israeli army kill 4 people & wound many more in the South of Lebanon. Additionally the land-mines that Israel planted & did NOT remove when it withdrew its occupation from South Lebanon (2002) is taking its toll too. So far it refuses to hand over the maps of these land-mines.

What makes the cluster bombs so dangerous & monstrous is that 30% of the bomblets do NOT detonate on impact. They can lie for years -often very difficult to see because of their small size- on roofs, in gardens, in trees, beside roads or in rubbish. But they do explode with the minutest disturbance, killing, maiming, mutilating children, women & men: old & young.

Therefore:
 Wilpf calls on the UN, & the international community  (civil society & NGOs) to put pressure on Israel to hand the land-mines maps which they planted in South Lebanon so that experts can de-activate.

We also ask all expert institutions, ngos, as well as the EU to intensify their aid providing more de-mining experts to search for & de-activate the un-exploded bomblets before they "harvest" all our citizens in the south Lebanon, when & while  peasants try to pick their olives & oranges, or children on their way to school.

We also call for investigating Israel's use of these weapons, and ask for:

(1) compensations for the civilian victims from Israel.
(2)embargo on selling arms to Israel.
(3) economic sanctions/ boycotting Israel .

2. The Palestinian community in Lebanon: UN resolution 194: the right of return to Palestine
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 Lebanon has a very delicate "social fabric". It is a multi-confessional political system which has its positive & negative aspects. Its rich diversity (17 sects) is founded on a very sensitive demographic balance. This is why we have a problem whenever rumors erupt that the 400.000 plus Palestinian refugees in Lebanon will be granted Lebanese citizenship- a rumor vehemently opposed/protested by both Lebanese & Palestinians:
Lebanon cannot afford this drastic demographic change & The Palestinians demand to go home.   

Therefore:
   Both the Lebanese & the Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon demand that UNCR 194 be implemented, the resolution which guarantees the right of return to the Palestinian homeland. This is also one of the basic principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (article:13).

We demand that the UNR 194 be implemented.

3. Israeli Occupation of Mazari' Shaba'a & Kofr-Kalla hills
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 Unless Israel withdraws from these Lebanese occupied lands, we will not enjoy any peaceful existence. There will always be a demand to liberate these Lebanese occupied lands....& wars will erupt...we call on the international community to demand Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese lands.

4. National Unity
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we call on the international community to support all internal negotiations/dialogue efforts between the different/differing political Lebanese leaders/parties so that a national unity government is agreed by all. we strongly urge all international bodies & EU not to support one party against the other , but to try hardest to help stabilize our unstable system. we need impartial objective assistance which will help the Arab efforts for finding a solution.

This statement was issued in Berlin and will be distributed as such. At the WILPF Congress in Bolivia  it should be discussed in order to be accepted by the congress.

Heidi Meinzolt – Coordinator of the Middle East Committee